Crystal Palace saw their ascent of the Division One table come to a shuddering
halt at Pride Park Stadium where relegation-threatened Derby came from behind to
secure a barnstorming victory.
Michael Hughes had set the Eagles on their way to a sixth successive victory
when his exquisite lobbed goal broke the first-half deadlock.
But Spanish striker Manel headed home his first senior goal for the Rams after
the interval and Everton's Leon Osman, playing the final game of his one-month
loan, blasted home a 76th-minute winner for the Rams who had gone into the game
lying fourth bottom.
Hostilities had officially commenced in the third minute when Izale McLeod,
operating as a lone striker during the first half, turned on a cross from winger
Candido Costa.
But he could only fire wide from the edge of the Palace area.
Then, as the Rams continued to take the game to Palace, Marco Reich tested
Eagles keeper Cedric Berthelin with a falling volley unleashed from the left
edge of the box.
But Reich's display of technique was eclipsed in the 16th minute when Hughes
produced a quality finish to cap a route-one move initiated from Berthelin's
goal-kick.
Palace skipper Neil Shipperley rose highest on the Eagles' right to provide
the perfect nod down and Hughes stroked home a wonderful side-footed lob which
beat Derby keeper Lee Grant from outside his area.
The Rams shotstopper redeemed himself when Dougie Freedman, on for the injured
Andy Johnson, burst clear only to be denied by the keeper's outstretched left
hand.
And Grant came to Derby's rescue again before half-time when he got down
sharply to parry an effort fired through a thicket of legs by Julian Gray.
Rams boss George Burley made personnel and tactical alterations for the second
period with Costa having been replaced by Noel Whelan in a 4-4-2 formation
modified from the 3-5-1 employed in the opening period.
And before the hour had arrived, Burley opted to make more changes as central
midfielder Tom Huddlestone was replaced by Adam Bolder with Manel the next to be
introduced as McLeod made way.
The substitution paid immediate dividends for the hosts as the beefy frontman,
who had scored two in his last two reserve-team outings, registered the
equaliser.
Rob Edwards, the Rams right-back on loan from Aston Villa, had been
responsible for the long throw which had initially precipitated danger in the
Palace penalty box.
But Whelan, whose one-month contract was due to expire at full-time, applied a
vital flick-on before Manel's glancing header beat Berthelin.
The equaliser had a galvanising effect on the Rams who went on to turn the
game on its head when Osman robbed Mark Hudson on the edge of Palace box and
advanced to score despite a deflection from the keeper's shin.
And the winning margin could have been greater had Manel found the target
rather than the sidenetting late on.
Teams:
Derby: Grant, Edwards, Mawene, Johnson, Jackson,
Costa (Whelan 45), Taylor, Huddlestone (Bolder 59), Reich,
McLeod (Manel 67), Osman.
Subs Not Used: Camp, Mills.
Booked: McLeod, Whelan.
Goals: Manel 70, Osman 76.
Crystal Palace: Berthelin, Butterfield, Popovic, Hudson,
Granville, Routledge (Black 80), Riihilahti (Derry 60), Hughes,
Gray, Johnson (Freedman 29), Shipperley.
Subs Not Used: Borrowdale, Leigertwood.
Booked: Riihilahti, Shipperley, Granville.
Goals: Hughes 16.
Att: 21,856
Ref: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).
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